Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with Jon Mazer. Jon is a lawyer, who has done all different types of cases, from civil to criminal. Jon has a broad litigation background, representing a wide range of business and individuals. In addition, he studied philosophy, both in college and at the graduate level. 

In this episode, we discuss what it is like to be responsible for people’s legal situations, how Jon gets his witnesses comfortable talking in front of court, the most serious case that Jon has ever worked on, Jon’s perspective on defending someone who might be guilty, how Ludwig Wittgenstein used philosophy to critique philosophy, how Jon was able to shock a witness with his niche expertise in front of a jury, what the value of being a well-informed citizen is, and much more. 

Enjoy the show!

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! 

Today, I will be talking with Bennett Santora, once again. Bennett recently launched a new business venture, selling his juggling balls, which has already earned hundreds of dollars in profit. Additionally, his new Tik Tok account, “Money Mind News,” is now reaching 25 thousand followers. On this account, he discusses creative, unconventional ways to make money. In this episode, we discuss topics such as: what makes a product valuable, behavioral economics, how to think like an entrepreneur, the most ridiculous side hustle he has ever seen, an absurd business fraud, the viewer retention principles he uses on Tik Tok, how he feels about having been seen by 20% of America, and more. Enjoy the show! 

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with Taylor Stadden, a certified mental performance consultant. Taylor works with athletes of all levels, helping them improve their minds, in the service of elite performance. Taylor is the founder of Upper Mentality, a company that he started in 2019, which provides these services to athletes. In this conversation, we discuss what mental performance is, how youth sports can start to feel like a job, how athletes (and others) can cultivate a growth mindset, athletes’ misconceptions about mindset, what healing imagery is, mindfulness, client/consultant relationships, and more. 

Enjoy the show! 

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

0:50 - What is mental performance?

1:40 - Relearning to love sport

9:00 - Misconceptions about mindset 

15:00 - My favorite interview ever

17:50 - Mental struggles of injury 

20:30 - Client/consultant relationship 

23:40 - What is healing imagery?

25:00 - Growth mindset 

31:00 - Is there a stigma? 

34:30 - Tools for dealing with risk aversion 

43:00 - Mental skills in entrepreneurship 

45:00 - Multi-sport vs specialization in youth athletics 

48:40 - Transition from HS to College sports 

51:00 - Mindfulness/meditation thoughts 

1:00:00 - Do our beliefs influence reality?

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with my good friend, Ramsey Brown. Ramsey has recently started a youtube channel discussing topics related to self-improvement and psychology. Today, we discuss comparing oneself to others, delayed gratification, what religion has to do with working out, how Ramsey records his YouTube videos with no notes, what movies can teach us about self improvement, a new metric of intelligence, being more present, mindfulness, flow, Jordan Peterson, and more. 

Enjoy the show! 

Check out Ramsey’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ramseybrown7891

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808

https://www.amazon.com/Way-Superior-Man-Challenges-Anniversary/dp/1622038320

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/sports/baseball/mets-psychologist-helps-players-catch-their-breath.html

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! 

Today, I will once again be talking with my good friend Abhimanyu Kumar, better known as Manyu. We begin this episode by talking about something called a worry coin, among other ways to manage anxiety. Next, we delve into some existential questions, and how a philosophy called “absurdism” may address these issues and help people who are struggling to find meaning in their life. 

Enjoy!

If you like what you hear, go check out Manyu's podcast: 

https://www.youtube.com/@NotesofaCornellStudent

HELLO AND WELCOME TO UPGRADE THOUGHT! Today, I will be talking with my good friend, Declan Semler. Declan is a college baseball player at Wesleyan University, and previously, a three sport varsity athlete in high school: he played football, basketball, and baseball for four years. Over the last year, Declan has had an inspiring weight loss journey, as he was able to dramatically transform his body. In this conversation, you can expect to hear all about the extreme work ethic it took to achieve this, why he wants to be a football coach when he’s older, what “run for president” means to him, and more. 

Warning: A quick word of warning for those who have issues with food or body image: In this episode, I speak with someone who successfully achieved a more healthy body weight, and hear how his motivation increased as he started seeing results. For him, this was a healthy process, but If you struggle with an eating disorder, negative body image, or food issues, this may not be what you need to hear. If this is the case, I recommend that you skip the first 30 minutes of this episode. 

Now without further ado, enjoy the show!

HELLO AND WELCOME TO UPGRADE THOUGHT! Today, I will be talking with my good friend, Alex Thom. 

Alex Thom, a man of many fascinating interests, is an impressive chef. In this episode, expect to hear all about how he is mastering the skill of cooking, and his decision to begin leveraging this skill on social media. 

In addition, we discuss motivational content creators, health, longevity, why you should not keep your secret recipe so secret, and more. Enjoy the show. 

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be talking with Dr Daniel Susser, a professor at Cornell. Dr Susser has devoted his professional career to understanding technology in a comprehensive way, approaching technological issues philosophically, ethically, politically, legally, etc. These are very timely topics. In this episode, we discuss technology in a relevant and understandable way. Expect to hear a refreshing perspective on artificial intelligence, as Susser explains why A.I. is just a marketing term, why he is not scared of it, and how concerns related to existential risk might distract us from more pressing issues. In addition, we discuss how much control we have over technology, gig economies, surveillance, how people can learn more about technology, and more. Enjoy! 

Mentions 

Hello and welcome to Upgrade Thought! Today, I will be releasing part 2 of my conversation with Abhimanyu Kumar, in which we reflect on one of the most moving books I have ever read, “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. Some of the topics we discuss include: the value of weaving narrative into philosophy, how to find your purpose, actionable steps to better understand yourself, and how deep thinking can help you reframe your challenges. Enjoy the show!

https://www.youtube.com/@NotesofaCornellStudent

https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl-ebook/dp/B009U9S6FI